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Brothers, Help Your People Hold On and Minister in Calamity | John Piper · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reformed Thinking. And this is our segment, The
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Deep Dive. Really glad you could join us
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today. We're we're going to take a deep
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dive into a particular framework.
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It's about responding to some of life's really challenging,
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sorrowful moments. You know those widespread
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calamities, times when it feels like the whole world is just
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shaken up? When the news is full of
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suffering, loss on a scale that's, well, hard to even
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process? That's right.
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And for this deep dive, we're looking at John Piper's
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reflections. It's a a pretty robust guide for
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those kinds of moments. These ideas were first put
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together very carefully after the the awful Columbine High
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School shooting back in 99, and then they were sort of broadened
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out after September 11th, 2001. It's really a guide, you know,
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aimed mostly at pastors, helping them lead their congregations
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when, as he puts it, the entire nation is talking about life and
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death and evil and loss and pain.
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So this isn't just abstract theology.
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It's meant to be a practical response to real human pain.
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Exactly. And our mission here really is
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to pull out the key insights from this material.
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We want to help you, the listener, kind of grasp how to
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approach these moments with a biblical perspective, honoring
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God, seeking the good of people. What's really useful about this
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discussion, I think, is that while it was maybe designed with
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pastors in mind, the framework itself is, well, it's a guide
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for any believer, right? Anyone trying to find their
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footing, anchor their hope when everything feels unstable.
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It offers like a steady hand when things are chaotic.
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OK, so let's maybe unpack this by starting with the history,
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the specific events that actually led to this framework
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being created. To really get it, you need to
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sort of put yourself back in those moments, moments of
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national shock, deep sorrow. Think back to April 20th, 1999,
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a Tuesday morning around 11:13. Just a horrific event unfolding
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at Columbine High School in Littleton, Co 2 students open
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fire, move through the school. I mean, an unimaginable horror.
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13 people killed before the shooters took their own lives.
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And there's that chilling detail, too.
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That it was Adolf Hitler's birthday just adds another layer
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of darkness, doesn't it? When this happened, John Piper
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was actually on a month's writing leave, so away from his
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usual duties, he couldn't directly preach right after it
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happened. Right.
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So instead of a sermon, he took a different approach.
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Still vital though. He wrote to the elders of his
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church and he posed this really critical question is sort of
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drove his thinking. What shall we say about this
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calamity in order to honor God and minister to people for their
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good? Go code.
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This wasn't just, you know, an academic question.
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It came from this urgent need to guide a community that was
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reeling. And that desire for guidance,
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right in the middle of that shock, led him to craft a 15
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point response. He worked fast, sending this
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guide, practical but theologically solid, to the
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elders within just a few days. It gave them a concrete road
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map. You know how to minister when
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everyone's grieving. Clarity when things were so
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unclear. And then, just a couple of years
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later, the nation faced another tragedy, this time almost well,
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unimaginable in scale. September 11, 2001 Coordinated
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terrorist attacks in the US. Two jets into the World Trade
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Center towers in New York, another into the Pentagon.
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Flight 93 crashing in Pennsylvania after passengers
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swapped back over 3000 lives lost.
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Just the sources talk about the national response.
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Just this collective grief, horror, people trembling,
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weeping, rage. It was a day that really changed
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things, left a deep scar. Pepper recalls being with his
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staff, listening to the radio as it all unfolded, the news just
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coming in. Their immediate response.
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They got on their faces, praying, seeking the Lord for
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the nation, for their people. And out of that prayerful
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response, they came up with this unique 3 service response for
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their church held on the Tuesday, Wednesday and then the
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following Sunday. They called them a service of
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sorrow, self humbling and steady hope in our Savior and King
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Jesus Christ. And this moment, this national
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upheaval, it spurred him to take those original 15 points from
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Columbine, add 6 more, making it a more comprehensive 21 point
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framework. And then, realizing the broader
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need, they put it up on their church website, made it
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available for ministry beyond just their own congregation, a
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resource for the wider church. And what these historical
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moments really show us is the the real world application of
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this guidance. These weren't just ideas thought
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up in an ivory tower. They were forged in the fire of
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intense national suffering. For you, the listener, this
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demonstrates that faith isn't just for the good days, the easy
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times. It provides a real anchor in
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moments of genuine crisis, when answers are desperately needed
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and comfort seems impossible to find anywhere else.
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It shows our faith has substance, even when facing
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immense pain. OK, so with that background,
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let's dig into the core principles for responding this
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framework. It's got multiple facets, and
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the sequence is really telling, I think.
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It doesn't start with heavy theological pronouncements.
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It begins with a call to empathy, compassion.
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It starts with weeping with those who weep.
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A very human, very spiritual first step.
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That's a really crucial observation .1 In this
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framework, it's all about prayer, and it starts with the
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pastor's own preparation before anything else.
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Pastors need to pray for themselves, for God's help,
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wisdom, compassion, strength, praying for a word fitly chosen.
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You know some of them will actually speak life and truth
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into that deep pain and confusion.
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But prayer isn't just inward looking.
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It's also about seeking God as the source of help, hope,
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healing, strength for those who are suffering.
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This rests on biblical ground. Like James 1.5, God gives wisdom
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generously. Or Deuteronomy 32 in Proverbs 13
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talking about God's teaching as a fountain of life, refreshing
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truth in a barren place. This foundational prayer, it
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recognizes that God alone is the only sure and stable thing in
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the universe, and ultimately our only lasting treasure.
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It sets the stage for just complete reliance on Him,
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acknowledging that human wisdom just isn't enough in these
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moments. Right, and building right on
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that, .2 talks about expressing empathy directly.
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The instruction is pretty clear. Feel and express empathy with
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those most hurt by this great evil and loss.
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It goes straight to Romans 12.15, which tells us to weep
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with those who weep. This isn't about pretending to
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be sad, it's a call to genuinely share in the grief.
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It lines up with Ecclesiastes 3, right?
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The bit about seasons. There's a time to weep and a
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time to laugh. In times of national calamity,
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weeping isn't just appropriate, it's necessary.
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It's right. It's about not bottling it up,
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but sharing in that human experience of sorrow, making
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space for grief when the world often wants to rush past it.
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That shared humanity becomes like a bridge for ministry.
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Then .3 expands on this calling for feeling and expressing
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compassion for those who've suffered immeasurable loss.
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And Jesus himself gives us the clearest examples of this kind
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of heartfelt compassion. We see his sorrow when he wept
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at Lazarus tomb. John 11 tells us he was deeply
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moved in his spirit and greatly troubled by the grief by death
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itself. And similarly, Luke 19 shows
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Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, expressing deep sorrow for his
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future destruction, his spiritual blindness, and Luke 7,
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the widow of name, he raises her son because he was genuinely
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moved by her devastating loss. These aren't just intellectual
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responses from Jesus. They're deeply felt, heart level
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reactions to human suffering. They show compassion is alive.
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It's a real response to pain. And this compassion isn't just a
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feeling inside .4 encourages actual action, tangible care.
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The framework guides pastors and really all believers to take
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time and touch if you can, and give tender care to the wounded
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and body and soul. End Quote.
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Jesus consistently showed this kind of hands on care.
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Think about him touching Peters mother-in-law to heal her in
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Matthew 8, or stretching out his hand to touch a leper in Mark 1.
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Something that broke social rules but showed incredible
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tenderness. And the parable of the Good
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Samaritan in Luke 10 illustrates this too.
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The Samaritan didn't just feel sorry and walk by.
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He actively bandaged the man's wounds, used oil and wine, cared
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for him personally, even paid for his ongoing recovery.
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This is about physical, hands on, tender care, going beyond
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just words to offer real comfort and help.
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So what does this first section mean for you, the listener?
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It means our initial posture when facing tragedy, whether
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national or personal, has to be 1.
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Of genuine care, tangible presence.
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It's about meeting people right where they are in their pain,
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sharing the burden, not rushing in immediately with answers or
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complex theology. It starts with sharing the
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suffering, making space for that raw human emotion before
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offering the divine truth. Empathy first.
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Exactly. And that posture of empathy,
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then it naturally leads into the core theological foundation of
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this whole framework, which is this, despite all the chaos and
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suffering, we see the truth of God's absolute control, His
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sovereign rule and His good nature stands firm.
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This is where we lay the foundation for real anchored
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hope .5 holds out this promise. God will sustain and help those
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who cast themselves on Him for mercy and trusted His grace.
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It's an assurance that God gives strength for those impossible
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days ahead when you feel totally empty, unable to go on, and
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Scripture is full discomfort, offering deep reassurance.
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Like Psalm 34.18, God is near to the broken hearted, not distant,
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but present in the sorrow. Then there's Isaiah 41.10, that
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powerful promise. Fear not, for I am with you.
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I will strengthen you, I will help you.
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It's a personal invitation from God to lean on Him.
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Psalm 23.4 comfort even through the valley of the shadow of
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death. His rod and staff are there.
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And 2nd Corinthians 1 calls God the Father of mercies and God of
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all comfort, who comforts us so we can comfort others.
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This promise of sustenance is tied directly to relying on God.
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Like Second Corinthians 1.8 to 9 says, affliction pushes us to
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rely not on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead for
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you. This means that in your deepest
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weakness, God actually offers his strength.
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His power shows up right there. .6 then brings Jesus right into
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the center of this comfort. He's presented as a sympathetic
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mediator. It reminds us that Jesus himself
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tasted hostility, unjust torture, abandonment,
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overwhelming loss and death. He gets it.
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He knows suffering, betrayal, even separation, because he went
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through such profound suffering, felt the full weight of human
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pain. He's uniquely qualified.
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He's a sympathetic mediator, meaning he can truly sympathize
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with our weaknesses, our struggles, not from some
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detached place, but from personal experience and knowing
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that allows believers, as Hebrews 4 says, to with
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confidence, draw near to the throne of grace to get mercy and
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find help when we need it. We can approach God without fear
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because Christ understands our pain.
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Isaiah 53 describes him powerfully as a man of sorrows
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who has borne our groups and carried our sorrows.
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He took our pain on Himself. OK, next .8 Tackle something
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that can be really difficult, a mysterious concept.
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God's permission of sin. The framework acknowledges that
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God has permitted a great outbreak of sin against His
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revealed will, which is hard for us to wrap our heads around
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because God is holy, He hates evil, and the framework is
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honest about this mystery. It is.
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We don't know the full reasons why He permits it.
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It points to Deuteronomy 29.29. The secret things belong to the
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Lord our God, reminding us some things about God's wisdom are
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just beyond us. Romans 11 also marvels at how
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unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways.
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The main point here isn't that God is powerless against evil.
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He could stop it, but He allows it to happen for reasons that,
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while hidden from us now, ultimately serve His bigger,
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perfect purposes. It calls for humility before his
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infinite wisdom, right? And building on that, .9 deals
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with Satan's reality and influence, but immediately,
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strongly puts it under God's absolute control.
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The framework says Satan is a massive reality in the universe.
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He does conspire to hurt people 'cause chaos.
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But, and this is crucial, it stresses that Satan is within
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and under the control of God. He's not some equal opposing
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power. The book of Job illustrates us
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so clearly. Job one and two show God setting
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clear limits on what Satan could do to Job.
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He could only go so far, no further.
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And Job's eventual understanding in chapter 42 that none of God's
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purposes can be thwarted really underlines this divine
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authority. Maybe the clearest example,
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though, as mentioned, is Christ's crucifixion.
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Luke 22 shows Satan entering Judas to betray Jesus.
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But Acts 4 makes it incredibly clear that Jesus is death, even
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though carried out by wicked people doing wicked things.
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It was whatever your God's hand and your plan had predestined to
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occur. This isn't God making them sin.
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It's about God's absolute supremacy.
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Even when evil seems to be winning, God is never surprised,
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never powerless. His purposes will stand. .14
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then brings in a really important balance.
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It tells pastors to mingle heart wrenching weeping with
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unbreakable confidence in the goodness and sovereignty of God.
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Meaning while we genuinely grieve over suffering, weep over
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the brokenness, we do it with this underlying steady trust.
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Trust that God rules over and through the sin and the plans of
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rebellious people. He's still on the throne.
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The story of Joseph is the key example here.
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Such a powerful illustration of this paradox.
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Genesis 45 and 50, Joseph tells his brothers, the ones who sold
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him into slavery. You meant evil against me, but
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God meant it for good. That's such a profound truth to
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hold on to. In crisis.
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God can take the worst human intentions and weave them into
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His good purposes, and Lamentations 3 assures us that
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God does not willingly afflict or grieve His children.
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It highlights His compassion even in sorrow.
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His allowance of suffering isn't because He enjoys it, but
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because it serves a greater end. And this idea of God's good
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sovereignty flows right into .15, which urges us to trust God
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for what seems humanly impossible.
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It encourages a firm trust that God can do the humanly
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impossible. He can bring you through this
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nightmare and in some inscrutable way bring good out
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of it. This is deeply rooted in Romans
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8.28, that famous verse For those who love God, all things
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work together for good. Not that all things are good in
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themselves, but God orchestrates them for good.
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Lamentations 3 also speaks to this hope, reminding us of God's
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steadfast love. His mercy is new every morning.
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His faithfulness is great. And echoing Second Corinthians
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one again, affliction can serve a divine purpose, pushing us to
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rely not on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
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This perspective is also linked to 2nd Corinthians 4.17, which
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says our slight momentary affliction is preparing for us
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an eternal weight of glory. For you, the listener, this
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means holding on to hope even when everything looks hopeless,
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resting in the truth that God can work even the most painful
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things into something ultimately good, eternally significant.
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.16, which as you said, needs careful handling, introduced
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when people are ready. It tackles that deep mystery,
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God ordaining what He forbids. It explains that one of the
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mysteries of God's greatness is that he ordains that some things
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come to pass, which he forbids and disapproves.
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Now this isn't saying God causes sin or likes evil.
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He absolutely for visit. Yet His sovereignty is so
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complete that He can allow acts that go against His revealed
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will to happen and even weave them into His larger, perfect
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plan. The clearest example, as we
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mentioned, is the death of Jesus.
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Acts 4 repeats it. Herod, Pilate, Gentiles, Israel,
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they gathered to do whatever your God's hand and your plan
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had predestined to occur. Their actions were wicked
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absolutely. Yet God had determined that
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these very acts, sinful on their part, would accomplish His plan
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of redemption. This truth, though really hard
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to fully grasp, is central to understanding God's absolute
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control over everything, all of history, even the darkest
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chapters. And then as a kind of personal
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reflection for the pastor, but really for any believer, .17
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talks about cherishing God's sovereignty, seeing it as the
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ground of all your hope, especially when you're facing
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humanly impossible situations where all our solutions just
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fail. The very fulfillment of New
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Covenant promises like salvation.
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Believers persevering, they hang on God's sovereignty over
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rebellious human wills. It's God who works in US.
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Mark 10 highlights this, saying salvation might seem impossible
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with man, but not with God, for all things are possible with
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God. It means God doesn't just offer
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salvation, He actually brings it about in hearts that were once
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against Him. God's ability to put the fear of
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me in their hearts, as Jeremiah 32 says, and to work in us that
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which is pleasing in His sight, Hebrews 13.
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It shows His sovereign care for His people.
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For you, this means your hope for real spiritual change in
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your own life or in others, even when it seems impossible, rests
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entirely on God's power to work in human hearts.
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And finally, in this theological section, .18 encourages us to
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count God as our only lasting treasure.
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Why? Because ultimately He is the
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only sure and stable thing in the universe.
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In a world where everything can be shaken, where things can be
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lost, even life itself can end in a moment, God remains.
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He is constant. Psalm 73.2526 captures this hard
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attitude so powerfully. Whom have I in heaven but you?
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And besides you, I desire nothing on earth.
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My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my
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heart and my portion forever. That verse gets at the ultimate
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satisfaction found only in God, a satisfaction that goes beyond
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any earthly loss or disaster. It's a call to align our deepest
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desires with the one reality that can never be destroyed or
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taken away. What really stands out here for
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us, the listener, is that this whole section, it's a
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theological anchor, isn't it? It shows how these deep biblical
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truths, when we really understand and embrace them,
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provide ultimate stability. They give us a lens to make
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sense of even the most disturbing events.
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It's about building our whole worldview, our response to
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crisis on a foundation that cannot be moved, the reality of
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God's unchanging character and his sovereign rule over
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everything. Now, while the framework starts
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with empathy, grounds us firmly in God's sovereignty, it
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definitely doesn't avoid confronting evil and the human
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condition. It moves into what you might
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call a theological confrontation with evil and sin and a clear
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call to repentance. This is where it asks us to look
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inward. Absolutely .7 tackles this head
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on. It declares that this murder was
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a great evil. No mincing words.
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The framework is unflinching in its moral judgment.
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It says God's wrath is greatly kindled by the wanton
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destruction of human life created in His image.
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This goes back to the biblical idea of the sanctity of life
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right from Genesis, Exodus 20.13, the commandment you shall
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not murder. Simple, direct.
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And Genesis 9 reinforces it, reminding us God made humans in
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his own image, giving inherent dignity value to every single
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life. So destroying human life is a
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direct attack on the Creator's design.
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Deuteronomy 29 also links calamity to forsaking God's
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covenant, showing his divine displeasure with widespread evil
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and rebellion. It's a stark minor God is a
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righteous judge. And .10 goes deeper, discussing
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the perpetrator's rebellion but seeing it as more than just an
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external act. It says they rebelled against
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the revealed will of God, meaning their actions came from
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a deeper heart issue. They didn't love or trust him.
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They scorned his ways, his person.
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The source links this to internal spiritual battles,
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drawing from James 4, which connects murder and coveting to
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passions fighting within us. That's a powerful insight, isn't
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it? External regal often grows from
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internal chaos. It also points to a failure of
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faith, like in Seat in Thessalonians 3, and a failure
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to walk by the Spirit from Galatians 5.
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This identifies the root of evil not just as a single terrible
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act, but as a deep heart condition, a basic orientation
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away from God. It means we can't just blame
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external factors. Following that, .11 takes a
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sharp personal turn. It says since rebellion is the
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root, everyone should fear such rebellion in our own hearts and
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turn from it and embrace the grace of God in Christ.
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That's a call for some serious self examination.
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It urges us to recognize the potential for that same core
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rebellion inside ourselves, to admit our own sinfulness, and to
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actively renounce the impulses that can lead to such tragedies,
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even if they manifest differently in our own lives.
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It's about looking inward honestly.
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This call to turn from sin and trust God is backed up by verses
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like Proverbs 3.5. To 6.
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Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
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And Psalm 9 and 56 echo this. Talking about trusting God even
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when we're afraid because he's the only real security, It
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shifts the focus from just societal evil to our personal
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responsibility before God. And then .12 pushes this even
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more, pointing all living people towards the momentous issues of
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sin and repentance in our own hearts.
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It stresses this urgent need to get right with God through his
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merciful provision of forgiveness in Christ, so that a
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worse faith than death will not overtake us.
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This isn't just about avoiding bad things happening here on
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earth. It's about eternity.
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Jesus himself gave that stark warning in Luke 13.
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Remember he talked about the Galileans killed by Pilate and
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those the Tower of Siloam fell on.
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He said plainly, unless you repent, you will all likewise
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perish. Making it clear that earthly
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suffering, while terrible, should also wake us up to the
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more serious reality of spiritual judgement.
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The framework also mentions Revelation 9 and 16, lamenting
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how people don't repent even when facing judgement and
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plagues, showing how hearts can harden, even emit suffering.
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It calls for a really sober look at where we stand with God.
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For you, the listener, this part of the framework really forces
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us to look inward, beyond just the shocking headlines.
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It encourages us to see how that same core rebellion, that same
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tendency to turn away from God, can exist in any heart,
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including our own. It highlights our constant need
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for God's grace, his forgiveness.
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Reminding us that even in global tragedies, the call for personal
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repentance is always urgent. It brings the big picture down
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to a deeply personal level. Urging self reflection, turning
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towards God. OK, so after moving through
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empathy, the solid ground of God's sovereignty and that
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necessary call to repentance, the framework shifts again.
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It moves towards active, hope filled living.
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This is where it encourages steadfast hope and service,
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adopting an eternal perspective that shapes how we live right
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now. That's right.
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Point 13 addresses a really tough, painful question that
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always comes up. What about believers who still
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get caught up in calamity, suffer loss, even die?
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It reminds us that yes, even those trusting Christ might
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suffer alongside everyone else, but God doesn't abandoned them.
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It states that God's love conquers even through calamity,
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which can feel hard to believe when you're hurting.
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Romans 8.3539 is just bedrock here.
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Such deep comfort. It assures us that nothing,
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neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor anything
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else in all creation will be able to separate us from the
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love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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That offers profound peace, knowing that suffering, even
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death, doesn't mean God has left us or stopped loving us.
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His love is like a shield. Nothing can get through, even
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when our bodies fail. .19 then gives us this incredibly
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powerful eternal viewpoint. It reshapes how we see life and
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death completely. It introduces that statement to
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live his Christ and to die his gain.
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This idea straight from Philippians 1 explains Paul's
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own feeling, his desire to depart and be with Christ for
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that is far better. It totally reorients our
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perspective, doesn't it shifts it from just earthly temporary
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concerns to eternal ones. For the believer, death isn't
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the ultimate loss. It's a transition into Christ's
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presence, which is ultimate gain. 2nd Corinthians 5 adds
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that believers walk by faith, not by sight.
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Our lives are guided by unseen spiritual realities, not just
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what's around us. Our ultimate goal, this life or
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the next, is to please the Lord, and that truth gives such deep
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peace and courage when facing how fragile life is.
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Following that, Eternal Outlook .20 focuses on praying together
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for spiritual openness. Pastors are told to lead their
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people in praying for God to incline their hearts to His
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Word, open their eyes to His wonders, unite their hearts to
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fear Him, and satisfy them with His, His love.
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These are like echoes of prayers right out of the Psalms.
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Psalm 119 asking for a heart inclined to God's Word, eyes
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open to His wonders. Psalm 86, praying for a united
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heart to fear Him. Psalm 90 asking to be satisfied
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with His love. It's really a call for God to
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work sovereignly in people's hearts, making them receptive to
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His truth, filling them with His beauty, drawing them into
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reverence, helping them find contentment in Him no matter
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what's happening around them. And finally, .21 the culmination
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of this whole framework, it details a call to radical
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service when the time is right. All this good news, the truth
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about God's sovereignty, his love, our eternal hope.
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It's met by God to free us for radical sacrificial service, for
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the salvation of men and the glory of Christ.
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The sources explained that seeing misery like in these big
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calamities, it serves A sobering purpose.
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It shows us life is short and fragile and followed by
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eternity. And when you grasp that,
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focusing just on small man centered ambitions looks, well,
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tragic, a waste of this precious life.
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Understanding life's brevity and eternal weight should inspire
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believers to fulfill their ministry.
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That means actively living out the call to testify the gospel
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of the grace of God, like Acts 20 says, and being zealous for
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good works, as Titus 2 encourages.
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It's aiming for a life where to live is Christ, like
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Philippians, one where every moment is lived for His
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purposes, his glory. It's a powerful call to reorient
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everything around God's biggest aims.
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So what does this all mean for you, the listener, as we kind of
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wrap up this deep dive? This is the ultimate goal for
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us, isn't it? To let the reality of God's
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sovereign control our secure, eternal hope that let it
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actually reshape our lives and moves us past just understanding
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it intellectually to a place where our whole existence is
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poured out in genuine service. For him, seeing life's shortness
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not as depressing, but as a catalyst, a reason to live with
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deep, eternal purpose. We've really unpacked a guide
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here for navigating calamity, a framework that holds together
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heartfelt empathy and rock solid theological truth.
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It's a vision rooted in God's absolute control, Christ's
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sympathetic work. It moves us from that initial
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sorrow towards a life shaped by eternal purpose, by active
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service. It gives a steady hand a clear
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path forward. These are, as Piper calls them,
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precious and painful moments, times when the truth of God's
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sovereign mercy can sink into their souls.
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So maybe consider how these insights could shape your
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posture, your prayers, your purpose when facing current
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events or even your own personal trials.
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How might really grasping God's sovereign control even over
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things He forbids, change your outlook on life's darkest
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moments? How might it free you for a life
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of sincere service focused on what truly lasts?
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Join us next time for another deep dive on Reformed thinking.